Mastering Fume Knight: Easy Cheese Strategies For Dark Souls Ii

how to cheese fume knight

Cheesing Fume Knight, a notoriously challenging boss in *Dark Souls II*, involves exploiting specific mechanics or strategies to simplify the fight. Players often utilize tactics like summoning NPC allies, such as Benhart of Jugo, to distract the boss while focusing on damage. Another common method is to use ranged attacks or spells from a safe distance, taking advantage of the arena's layout to avoid its deadly combos. Additionally, equipping items like the Ring of Blades +2 or using poison arrows can whittle down its health efficiently. While these strategies may not align with the intended challenge, they offer a practical approach for players struggling to defeat this formidable foe.

Characteristics Values
Boss Name Fume Knight
Game Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin
Location Dragon's Sanctum (Shrine of Amana)
Cheese Strategy Summon NPCs (like Benhart of Jugo) to tank damage while you attack from range or use a high-damage weapon.
Recommended NPC Summons Benhart of Jugo, Manscorpion Tark, or Darkdiver Grandahl
Optimal Range Weapons Bows, Crossbows, or Magic/Pyromancy spells
High-Damage Weapons Fully upgraded weapons (e.g., +10 Lightning or Fire-infused weapons)
Key Vulnerability Lightning damage
Phase 1 Health ~4,000 HP
Phase 2 Health ~6,000 HP (total)
Critical Weakness Backstabbing during specific animations (risky)
Recommended Rings Ring of Blades +2, Chloranthy Ring +2, Flynn's Ring
Recommended Consumables Lightning Urn, Estus Flask, Lifegem
Difficulty Extremely high without cheese strategy
Reward Fume Sword, 150,000 Souls
Notes Fume Knight is aggressive and has high poise; cheese strategy minimizes direct engagement.

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Exploit Arena Layout: Use pillars for cover, bait attacks, and strike safely during openings

The arena's layout is your greatest ally when facing the formidable Fume Knight. A strategic mind can transform the battlefield into a series of traps and advantages, leveraging the environment to tip the scales in your favor. Pillars, often overlooked, become instrumental in this tactical dance, offering both shield and sword in your quest for victory.

Step into the Arena with a Plan: Imagine the arena as a chessboard, where each pillar is a potential fortress. Position yourself near these structures, using them as cover to block the Fume Knight's relentless assaults. His aggressive nature works against him here; as he charges, the pillars become obstacles, forcing him to adjust his trajectory. This creates precious moments of vulnerability—openings you can exploit.

Baiting the Knight: Provoke the Fume Knight into attacking the pillars. His powerful strikes will often cause him to become momentarily stuck or paused, providing a brief but crucial window of opportunity. Time your baiting with precision; a well-placed roll or a feigned attack can lure him into these pillar-adjacent traps. For instance, a light attack followed by a quick dodge behind the pillar can trigger his more aggressive combos, which you can then counter.

Striking with Precision: During these openings, strike with calculated ferocity. Aim for 2-3 well-timed hits, depending on your weapon's speed and damage output. Overcommitting leaves you exposed, so prioritize consistency over greed. For slower weapons, a single powerful strike followed by a quick retreat is often more effective than a prolonged assault. Remember, the goal is to chip away at his health while maintaining your defensive advantage.

Adapt and Survive: The Fume Knight's AI is relentless, and he will adapt to your tactics. Vary your approach by alternating between different pillars and attack patterns. If he begins to anticipate your strikes, mix in defensive maneuvers, using the pillars to block his attacks and regain stamina. This cat-and-mouse game requires patience and observation—learn his attack patterns, and you'll find the rhythm to counter them.

Mastering the Arena: By exploiting the arena's layout, you transform a seemingly unfair fight into a manageable, even predictable, encounter. The pillars become more than just obstacles; they are tools for manipulation, forcing the Fume Knight into a game of your design. With practice, this strategy becomes a reliable method to defeat one of the game's most challenging foes, proving that sometimes, the environment is the ultimate weapon.

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Summon Overload: Bring NPC summons to tank damage while you focus on dodging and DPS

Fume Knight's relentless aggression demands a strategy that minimizes your exposure to his deadly combos. Summon Overload leverages NPC allies to absorb damage, freeing you to focus on dodging and maximizing your own DPS. This tactic is particularly effective for players struggling with the fight's unforgiving pace or those seeking a more methodical approach.

Choosing Your Summons:

Not all NPC summons are created equal. For Fume Knight, prioritize those with high health pools and decent damage output. Benhart of Jigo stands out as a prime choice. His heavy armor and aggressive playstyle make him a formidable tank, drawing Fume Knight's attention while you chip away at his health. The Bell Keepers are another solid option, offering decent damage and the ability to distract Fume Knight with their ranged attacks.

Strategic Placement:

Positioning is crucial. Summon your allies near the entrance to the boss arena, ensuring they engage Fume Knight immediately. Stay behind your summons, using them as a buffer between you and the boss. This allows you to dodge attacks more safely and focus on landing your own strikes.

DPS and Dodging:

With your summons drawing aggro, prioritize high-damage, low-commitment attacks. Fast, punishing strikes like those from a straight sword or spear are ideal. Avoid committing to lengthy combos that leave you vulnerable. Instead, strike once or twice, then immediately disengage to dodge Fume Knight's inevitable counterattacks.

Cautions and Considerations:

While Summon Overload is effective, it's not foolproof. Fume Knight's area-of-effect attacks can still damage your summons, so be prepared to heal them if necessary. Additionally, this strategy relies heavily on your ability to dodge effectively. Practice your timing and learn Fume Knight's attack patterns to maximize your survival chances.

Summon Overload transforms the Fume Knight fight from a frantic test of reflexes into a more strategic encounter. By leveraging NPC allies to absorb damage, you gain the breathing room needed to focus on dodging and dealing consistent damage. Remember, this tactic requires careful summon selection, strategic positioning, and a commitment to disciplined dodging and DPS. With practice, you'll be able to overcome this formidable foe and claim your well-deserved victory.

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Poison Mist Strategy: Cast Poison Mist repeatedly to chip health while avoiding direct combat

The Poison Mist strategy against Fume Knight hinges on exploiting the boss's aggression and the lingering damage of the spell. Poison Mist inflicts a steady 10 damage per second for 30 seconds, stacking up to 5 times for a maximum of 50 damage per second. This means a single cast, if maintained, can deal 1,500 damage over its duration. Against Fume Knight's 6,000 HP, this translates to a theoretical 25% health reduction per cast, assuming no other damage sources.

The key lies in positioning and timing. Fume Knight's relentless pursuit makes him susceptible to area-of-effect spells like Poison Mist. Cast the spell at the edge of his melee range, then immediately back away, luring him into the toxic cloud. His predictable charge attacks and slow turning radius make it relatively easy to maintain distance while the poison ticks away.

This strategy requires patience and a healthy supply of Ashen Estus Flasks. Poison Mist has a 3-second cast time, leaving you vulnerable. Time your casts during Fume Knight's recovery animations or after dodging an attack. Remember, the goal isn't to directly engage, but to whittle down his health while minimizing your own risk.

While not the fastest method, the Poison Mist strategy is remarkably effective for players struggling with Fume Knight's aggressive combat style. It prioritizes safety over speed, allowing you to chip away at his health without needing to master complex dodge patterns or parry timings.

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Ranged Cheese: Use bows or spells from afar, abusing his slow turn speed and attacks

Fume Knight's sluggish turn speed becomes his Achilles' heel when facing a ranged attacker. His deliberate, weighty swings leave him vulnerable to chip damage from afar, especially when you exploit his predictable attack patterns. Position yourself at the edge of his aggro range, just out of reach of his initial lunge, and unleash a barrage of arrows or spells. His slow rotation allows you to strafe laterally, keeping him perpetually off-balance while you whittle down his health bar.

This strategy shines with bows like the Composite Bow or Black Bow of Pharis, which offer a balance of damage and fire rate. For spellcasters, Soul Arrow or Heavy Soul Arrow provide consistent, low-cost damage. Remember, the key is consistency – don't go for greedy combos, focus on steady, uninterrupted attacks.

While Fume Knight's slow turn speed is a weakness, his massive health pool demands patience. This strategy is a marathon, not a sprint. Expect the fight to take several minutes, and don't be discouraged by seemingly slow progress. Focus on maintaining distance, avoiding his sweeping attacks, and capitalizing on every opening.

Every attack he misses is an opportunity. His wide, telegraphed swings leave him exposed for several seconds. Use these moments to unleash a volley of arrows or a well-timed spell, maximizing your damage output while minimizing risk.

This "Ranged Cheese" tactic isn't just about exploiting a weakness; it's about controlling the battlefield. By dictating the pace of the fight, you force Fume Knight into a reactive role, limiting his options and minimizing the danger he poses. It's a testament to the game's depth that such a seemingly overpowered boss can be overcome through careful positioning, patience, and a well-chosen ranged weapon.

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Health Regen Build: Stack lifegems and regenerative gear to outlast his damage over time

Fume Knight's relentless aggression demands a strategy that prioritizes survival over offense. A Health Regen build leverages the game's mechanics to turn the fight into a war of attrition, where your ability to outlast his damage becomes the key to victory. This approach requires careful planning and resource management, but it offers a reliable path to success for players who prefer a more defensive playstyle.

The Core Strategy: Sustained Regeneration

The foundation of this build lies in stacking lifegems and equipping gear that provides continuous health regeneration. Lifegems, when used, grant a temporary boost to health regeneration, while certain armor pieces and rings offer passive regeneration bonuses. Aim for a combination that provides a noticeable and consistent health recovery rate, ideally enough to counteract Fume Knight's damage output during phases where you're not actively dodging or attacking.

Key items include:

  • Chloranthy Ring: Increases the speed of Estus Flask recovery, allowing you to heal more frequently.
  • Ring of Restoration: Provides a small but constant health regeneration bonus.
  • Armor with Regeneration: Certain armor sets, like the Havel's Set or the Giant's Set, offer inherent health regeneration bonuses.
  • Lifegems: Stockpile a healthy supply of these consumables, using them strategically during lulls in the fight or when your health dips dangerously low.

Execution and Timing:

This strategy requires patience and precise timing. Focus on dodging Fume Knight's attacks, prioritizing survival over dealing damage. During openings, chip away at his health with safe, low-risk attacks. When your health drops below a certain threshold, activate a lifegem and allow the regeneration to kick in. Time your Estus Flask usage carefully, ensuring you have enough charges to sustain yourself throughout the fight.

Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't be discouraged if the fight takes longer than usual. The goal is to wear Fume Knight down gradually while maintaining your own health pool.

Advanced Techniques and Considerations:

For maximum effectiveness, consider incorporating these advanced techniques:

  • Poise Breaking: Equip heavy armor and a weapon with high poise damage to stun Fume Knight, creating opportunities for safer attacks and healing.
  • Summoning: Summon NPC allies to distract Fume Knight and draw his aggro, giving you more breathing room to heal and regenerate.
  • Environment Utilization: Use the arena's pillars for cover, forcing Fume Knight to navigate around them and creating opportunities for healing and regeneration.

By meticulously stacking lifegems and regenerative gear, and employing strategic timing and defensive tactics, the Health Regen build transforms the Fume Knight fight into a test of endurance. This approach may not be the fastest, but it offers a reliable and satisfying victory for players who prioritize survival and resource management.

Frequently asked questions

The most common method is to use the "pillar strategy." Lure Fume Knight to the pillar near the fog gate, position yourself behind it, and bait his attacks. When he gets stuck on the pillar, attack him from behind, repeating the process until he’s defeated.

Yes, summoning Benhart of Jugo or another player can help distract Fume Knight while you deal damage. Focus on staying behind the pillar and attacking when the boss is engaged with the summon.

Using a high-damage weapon like a greatsword or ultra greatsword can speed up the process. Additionally, equipping armor with high poise or using a shield to block his attacks can give you more opportunities to strike while cheesing.

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